Surface-combustion furnace



2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Jan. 18,1921.

F. J. DENK.

` SURFACE CDMBUSTION FURNACE.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 ffy/47% PPLICAUON FILED DEC- 5| 191-9.

'n u l UNITED STATES FRANZ J. DENK,

OF GRAFTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

SURFACE-COMBUSTION FURN ACE.

Application filed December 5, 1919.

T0 all wlw/m, z5 may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANZ J. DENK, a citizen of the United, States, residing at Grafton, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Surface-Combustion Furnaces, of which the' following is a specification.

My invention tion furnaces.

It is one `of the principal objects of this invention to adapt such furnaces to ceramic" industries. Another object is to adapt such furnaces to use raw producer-gas which hitherto has given much trouble in gloryholes, leers, enameling kilns, and the like. My invention is applicable to glory-hole furnaces, glass-melting furnaces, leers, decorating kilns, pot-arches, enamelingfurnaces or kilns, annealing furnaces, brick kilns, crucible furnaces, small melting furnaces, and the like. I illustrate herein my invention in connection with glory-holes and a leer, but it will be clear from the following description that it can be readily applied to the various heating constructions just enumerated.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a glory-hole furnace embodying the principles of this invention; Fig. 2, a horizontal section on the line H II on Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a central vertical section of a'. leer containing my invention taken on the line III-III on Fig. 4; Fi 4, a horizontal section taken on the line I IV on Fig. 5; and Fig. 5, a vertical transverse section on' the line V-V on Fig. 3.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, which vshow a four-ring glory-hole furnace, 1 des.- igriates a cylindrical foundation of brick or the equivalent. It has the central vertical hole 2. A hollow vertical cylinder 3 of magnesite' or other equally refractory material is seated on the shoulder 4 around the upper endof the hole 2. This cylinder is in axial alinement with the hole 2 and has a number of vertical slots or slits 5 extending entirely through the same, but preferably not reaching the ends of the cylinder. A solid refractory cylinder 6 supported by the brackets 7 is seated centrally in the cylinder 3, there being between the two cylders an annular space or chamber filled with pieces or fragments of very highly refractory material 8, divided in the present `relates to surface combus- Splecication of Letters Patent. v

` burner18 at the bottom of between the cylinder 3 and sired Patented Jan. 18, 1921. Serial No. 342,767.

instance into four distinct segments by the vertical refractory partitions 9 reaching from the cylinder 3 to the cylinder 6.

Extending outwardly from a point opposite each partition is a pair of diverging vertical refractory walls 10 and 11 meeting at their inner edges next to the cylinder 3 and terminating preferably at .or near to the outer face of the foundation 1. The pairs of opposing walls 10 and 11 in adjacent pairs of said diverging walls are each joined by transverse verticalT refractory walls 12 each having an opening 13, each wall 12 with its opening 13 being termed a'ring. The openings 13 are directly opposite the said segments of the material 8.

14 is a gas-supply pipe connected to deliver gas into the mixer 15 which receives a supply of air through the pipe 16 therein controlled by a valve 7. From the mixer a branch feed-pipe 17 extends upward to a each segment of the material 8, there being a regulating valve 19 in each pipe' 17. Each valve is operated by a rod 20 extending through a slot 21 in the foundation 1. These slots 21 communicate with the heating chambers 22 the rings 12 by means of the openings 23.

A refractory roof 24 covers the chambers 22 and the upper end of the cylinder 3, being somewhat arched above the latter where it is provided with the gas-lighting holes 25 and the central stack or outlet 26 for the waste products of combustion.

Gas is first turned on and passes up the branch pipes 17 to the burners 18 and then up through the material 8, which may be balls of fire-clay. The gas is ignited through the holes 25, and then the air is admitted through the opening 16 and regulated by the valve 7 so as to confine the flame to the said segments of material 8, which becomes red or white hot. Heat radiates from the cylinder 3 and through the slots 5 into ther chambers 22. These other material liability of the usual damage caused by glory-holes in' which the burning gases directly contact with the ware.

he valves 19 may regulate the flow lof fuel so as to keep eachsegment atthe detemperature, which may vary in the different segments; or the fuel may be enpresented through the holes 13 may be treated to the heat without any tirely cut off from those segments which are not to be used at any time. ln the usual type of glory-hole, the heatpis wasted at all the rings not in use.

Referring now to Figs. 3,4, and 5, which illustrate a leer, I show the rectangular heating chamber 27 provided along the bottom at each side with a trough 28, filled with refractory pieces of material 33 such as fire-clay balls, for example. Each trough is divided into sections by the vertical partitions 29 which extend preferably up to the roof 30 and inwardly near to the pan-guides 31. The troughs will in each installation extend upwardly sufficiently to give off the required amount of heat.

The burners 32in the material 33 are supplied with a mixture of gas and air by the branch pipes 34 connected to the feed-pipes 35 lying beneath the troughs in the passages 36 in the foundation 37. The flow through the pipes 34 is regulated by valves 38 operated by rods 39 in holes 40 in the foundation. The front ends of the pipes 35 have the mixers 41 into which gas is delivered.

by the pipes 42, and air, by the pipes 43 connected to the main supply pipe 44.` rlhe latter extends through the flue 45 beneath the leer-chamber 27 The rear end of the flue 45 is connected to the stack fine 46 by the transverse flue 47. rfhe front end of the flue 45 is connected by the lateral iues 48 to the flues 49 leading downwardly from the front ends .of the chamber 27. The lues 49 lielin the side walls of the furnace and open into the chamber 27 by the ports 49 in the roof. Gas having been admitted to the pipes 42 passes up through the sections of material 33 where it is lighted. The air is then admitted to the pipe 44 whence it passes to the mixers 41 in which it meets the gas. The mixed gas and air pass through the burners 32 and burn in the said material 33. The waste products of combustion pass through the iues 49, 48, 45, and 47 to the stack 46. The waste products in the Hue 45' preheat the air in the pipe 44 and heat from below the pan 50, which is a container for the articles treated in the leer. The

gas may be regulated for each se tion by the valve 38 controlled by the rods 3S) or the. gas may be cut oif by. these valves l'roin such sections as may not be reiplired to he used. In some cases heat may he required only in the front pair of sections. ln other r cases one or more of the succeeding pairs of sections will be required. This is provided for by the valves 38. 'l`he gas pipes 42 may have controlling valves 5L and the air pipe 44 may have the air-controlling valve 52. ln case it is not desired to pre heat the air, the ports 49 'may be located at the rear end of the leer.

`With this leer the ware treated therein does not sulfur because there is no thune touching it. The heat canbe concentrated at the point where it wanted by ine-ans of the valves 38; the temperature can he regulated to suit dilferent conditions or requirements. A great saving of fuel is elffected as there is no excess of air to he heated.

Any part of the heating chamber can he. heated by locating the material 33 at the proper place or places.

l claim:

l. ln a surface-combustiou furnace. a chamber, a zone to be heated in the chamber, spaced refractory material at a side of the zone, means dividing the material into a` series of sections, sepa-rate means for supplying combustible gaseous fuel to the said niaterial in each section and separate means for controlling the How of the fuel to each seetion and means for drawing the products of combustion away from, and out of contact with, the articles being heated in the chamber.

2. In a surface-combustion furnace, a heating chamber, a surface-combostion burner in the same, and means for drawing the products of combustion away from, and out of contact with, the articles exposed to the burners.

Signed at Pittsburgh, Pa., this 28th day of November19l9.

FRANZ J. DENK. 

